By ERIN BASS

News Editor

Ruston will bid farewell to one of its first family-owned businesses in late March.

Lewis & Co. Ltd., located at 108 Park Ave., is shutting its doors after almost 140 years of providing men's, women's and children's clothing and accessories.

"We have talked for maybe the past seven years about going out of business," Richard Lewis, vice president of Lewis & Company, said. "It had never been an overly profitable venture, but it was never losing any money."

The closing came as a surprise to some, but William Lewis, president of Lewis & Co., did not think that many were shocked.

"I think a lot of people could tell that business wasn't going very well," William said. "A lot of people were even surprised that we had even been open this long."

One Tech student said she was not surprised or shocked about the closing.

"I shopped there once and a pair of jeans cost $120, so I could see why they would be going out of business," Jennifer Hogan, a senior chemical engineering major, said. "But I can understand how the community could feel an important loss since it has been here as long as Ruston has."

Richard and William are cousins and the fourth generation to run Lewis & Co.

"I came to work here when I was 13 years old, which would have been around 1966, as a gift wrapper," Richard said. "I would come in with my father every morning in my pajamas; it was like an extension of my house."

Richard said he went to Tech and majored in accounting, but neither he nor William were interested in management positions at Lewis & Co. until after college.

"You just kept doing more and more and learning more and more, developing a profound knowledge of what was Lewis and Company," William said.

Even though all the merchandise is moving out, it does not mean the Lewis name has to go with it.

"We kind of went from running the store, to closing the store down," Richard said. "We own the buildings so we do not have to put something in immediately to start generating money and that is a great liberty to have."

Richard and William said they did not feel the need to make Lewis & Co. go through a fifth generation.

"We never pressured our kids to take over the family business because we could tell it wasn't going to last much longer due to corporate competitors and Internet shopping."

Richard said their children are more worried about how their fathers are emotionally handling it than anything.

"It's not like you are making a wrong decision, but more like an emotional detachment," Richard said. "It is right on par with losing a close family member."

Richard and William said they had not even given one thought to plans after the store closes.

"I mean, I do not just want to stay at home," William said. "After doing this for 33 years, doing nothing would drive me insane."

As far as moving it out of Ruston, Richard and William said it has not even crossed their minds.

"I have family and friends here that I would not trade for the world," Richard said. "Ruston is and will always be my home